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as in to bribe
to influence someone with a bribe
she paid off the security guard so that she could steal whatever she liked
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in profit
the amount of money left when expenses are subtracted from the total amount received
the payoff on the investment was only about $500
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in pivotal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of pay off
Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 14 Jan. 2025
The efforts appear to be paying off: The Food and Drug Administration in December reaffirmed its decision to declare the U.S. shortage of tirzepatide — the active ingredient in both drugs — over.
—Annika Kim Constantino,jacob Pramuk, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2025
Peter Hessler, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
But the payoff—climbing through a sculpted vortex of dripping blue ice—is well worth the effort.
—Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for pay off 
Verb
In addition, some of the most important Biden initiatives will start to pay off only during the Trump presidency (assuming Trump doesn’t reverse them).
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 14 Jan. 2025
The efforts appear to be paying off: The Food and Drug Administration in December reaffirmed its decision to declare the U.S. shortage of tirzepatide — the active ingredient in both drugs — over.
—Annika Kim Constantino,jacob Pramuk, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2025
Noun
The final payoff, though, was minimal: in the district, Frisch outperformed Kamala Harris by only about five percentage points.
—Peter Hessler, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
But the payoff—climbing through a sculpted vortex of dripping blue ice—is well worth the effort.
—Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for pay off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pay off
Verb
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Eventually, the cumulative toll of Russia’s war economy will need to be paid.—
Alexandra Prokopenko,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Jan. 2025
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Amazon agreed to pay $1 billion a year to secure the rights to NFL Thursday Night Football back in 2021.—
Alex Cranz,
WIRED,
21 Jan. 2025
Verb
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What to Know In 2020, amid the U.S. presidential election, Smirnov falsely told his FBI handler that Burisma officials had bribed then-Vice President Biden and his son Hunter.—
Tommy Tuberville,
Newsweek,
8 Jan. 2025
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According to a unanimous Court of Appeal ruling in summer 2024, the trial judge marred the original guilty verdict by allowing the jury to proceed despite knowing that one juror had attempted to bribe the others.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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JPMorgan's profit rose to a record high in 2024 as its dealmakers and traders reaped a windfall from rebounding markets in the fourth quarter.—
Pritam Biswas and Nupur Anand,
USA TODAY,
25 Jan. 2025
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Both efforts reflect growing dissatisfaction with Boohoo’s direction from its investors, as the business struggles to reverse sliding profits and restore market confidence.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Robertson had been riding a wave of momentum leading into the playoff matchup, having played a pivotal role in Detroit's Week 18 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
19 Jan. 2025
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These voters were pivotal in supporting Trump over Harris.—
Hersh Shefrin,
Forbes,
19 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Contact our team or meet her today at Wayside Waifs.—
Trish Stinger,
Kansas City Star,
15 Jan. 2025
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Zoom out: The research on these goals is pretty clear: Firms that set them don't usually meet them.—
Emily Peck,
Axios,
15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Elon Musk Reports suggest that Chinese authorities are eyeing tech billionaire Elon Musk to potentially buy of TikTok.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
Newsweek,
16 Jan. 2025
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After buying the title off script, the Korean distributor put together a robust social media campaign that targeted young audiences while emphasizing the film’s mouth-watering content.—
Ben Croll,
Variety,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Jeff Buckley’s life started with both an act of embrace and a decisive abandonment.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
24 Jan. 2025
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The Seahawks scored a decisive 43-8 win over the Denver Broncos to claim the franchise’s first Super Bowl title.—
Vic Tafur,
The Athletic,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Travis weeks earlier cited as the deciding and unprecedented factor.—
Chris Vannini,
The Athletic,
9 Dec. 2024
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As a result of the split, Sheboygan city residents play no deciding role in either of the two districts, which both lean heavily Republican.—
Journal Sentinel,
Journal Sentinel,
9 Jan. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near pay off
Cite this Entry
“Pay off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pay%20off. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
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